(19)
(11) EP 1 531 341 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
21.06.2006 Bulletin 2006/25

(43) Date of publication A2:
18.05.2005 Bulletin 2005/20

(21) Application number: 04256816.2

(22) Date of filing: 04.11.2004
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
G01S 17/74(2006.01)
G02B 5/124(2006.01)
 G01S 7/481(2006.01)
G03H 1/04(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL HR LT LV MK YU

(30) Priority: 17.11.2003 US 715261

(71) Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANY
Waltham, MA 02451-1449 (US)

(72) Inventor:
  • Chen, Chungte W.
    Irvine, CA 92620 (CA)

(74) Representative: Jackson, Richard Eric et al
Carpmaels & Ransford, 43-45 Bloomsbury Square
London WC1A 2RA
London WC1A 2RA (GB)

   


(54) Method for identifying an interrogated object using a dynamic optical tag identification system


(57) An interrogator (44) identifies an interrogated object (60) using a light transceiver (42) and a dynamic optical tag (70) associated with the interrogated object (60). The dynamic optical tag (70) receives an output light beam (48) from the light transceiver (42) and controllably reflects the light beam back to the light transceiver (42) as an input light beam (52). The dynamic optical tag (70) includes a controllable light reflector (72) that is controllable between a reflective state and a non-reflective state and having a modulation signal input (74), and a controller (76) that provides the modulation signal input (74) to the controllable light reflector (72). In operation, the interrogator (44) transmits an interrogation light beam from the light transceiver (42) to the dynamic optical tag (70), the dynamic optical tag (70) reflects a modulated interrogation light beam back to the light transceiver (42) as the input light beam (52), and the light transceiver (42) receives and analyzes the input light beam (52) to determine an identity of the dynamic optical tag (70) and the interrogated object (60). A field-of-regard broadening structure such as a volume hologram (88) preferably overlies the controllable light reflector (72).







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